Opinion by Governor C.L. “Butch” OtterOne message came through loud and clear from my recent Business Summit
with representatives of all kinds of companies from throughout Idaho: There’s a
lot of optimism among business leaders that hard work, creativity and the
quality of our people will enable us to emerge successfully from this economic
slump.

I’m grateful for the time and effort of those who participated in the
summit. Their perspectives will provide important guideposts as we advance
Project 60 – the collaborative, coordinated statewide economic
development effort in which private sector partners are volunteering to help us
attract new employers to Idaho while we strengthen our existing businesses.

Project 60 is about growing the economy by creating jobs that become
community-building careers for Idahoans. That might seem optimistic while we
continue struggling economically. But in my experience, attitude is a big part
of recovery. And there is plenty of positive news about which to be optimistic.

For example, this summer Boise’s MotivePower received a contract for
$44 million worth of locomotives, and the customer has an option to increase
the order to more than $73 million. It’s the type of contract that provides job
stability and career opportunities for Idahoans.

In the Treasure Valley, three companies worked together on a mutually
beneficial deal: Krow Innovation brought in an international firearms
distributor that will manufacture shotguns at Meridian’s Advanced Precision
Machining. Employees there now will have more stable jobs and the company could
double employment over the next year with this contract. Part of the deal also
includes accessorizing the shotguns with products from Blackhawk Products in
Meridian.

In Plummer, Bluewater Technologies has received a federal contract to
clean up phosphorus in the municipal wastewater. The Hayden-based company is
using technology developed at the University of Idaho to solve a problem that
was stalling Plummer’s growth. The project should generate more than $30
million in regional economic development.

Another innovative Idaho business is Boise’s CRI Advantage, which was
recognized as the U.S. Department of Energy’s small business of the year. CRI
Advantage provides cyber security and information technology services for the
Idaho National Laboratory.

Fourteen Idaho companies also landed on Inc. Magazine’s list of the
nation’s fastest-growing private companies. Among them was Economic Modeling
Specialists Inc. in Moscow, which grew more than 600 percent last year!

It also is nice to see Idaho companies attracting investment, such as
Balihoo in Boise, which has received $7 million from a Boston venture capital
group. And COSSA, an education group in rural Canyon and Owyhee counties, has
received a matching $2.5 million federal grant for a regional
vocational-technical facility in Wilder. Besides creating four new permanent
jobs, it will create immediate construction jobs and help our students receive
necessary workforce skills.

Speaking of workforce, there are trained staff in 25 Department of
Labor offices around the state matching worker skills and talents with employer
needs. We also have the Workforce Development Training Fund, which reimburses
qualified businesses up to $3,000 per employee for the cost of training workers
to meet their needs. The program has helped secure about 20,000 Idaho jobs over
the last 13 years. Meanwhile, millions of dollars in federal Trade Adjustment
Assistance has provided new skills to workers laid off because of economic
changes or foreign competition.

That kind of commitment creates opportunities even when we’re facing
bad news. It’s unfortunate anytime a business decision affects people, as with
Dell Computers announcing that it will shut down its Twin Falls call center.
But it’s clear to me that local economic development and community leaders
share my view that the great facility and well-trained workforce being left
behind offer attractive opportunities for other businesses to move in and for
careers to keep growing.

New opportunities also will be one of the themes on Thursday, September
24th, when I conduct an “Innovation Summit” in Boise. It will feature leaders
from the high-tech manufacturing, energy and defense, higher education and
research, software, entrepreneurial and small business sectors of Idaho’s
economy providing insights on what State government should do to enable them to
succeed. The public is encouraged to attend as panelists share their ideas on
how to apply innovation and technology to growing Idaho’s economy with jobs
that become careers – and whole new industries.